Latest news with #G.V.NarayanaRao
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Death toll rises to 36 after explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India - International
The death toll from Monday's massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India's southern state of Telangana has risen to at least 36 while about three dozen were left injured, authorities said Tuesday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals, he said. 'The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,' Rao said. Sigachi Industries did not disclose what led to the explosion and fire, but said the plant's core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days. The plant produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used in making drugs, the company said. The explosion and subsequent fire was reported on Monday in the factory's spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs, Rao said. The state's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion. 'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Narasimha, adding the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident. Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates. Shares of Sigachi Industries tumbled 8% in intra-day trading Tuesday, extending the previous session's plunge of nearly 10%. In a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, the company called the incident 'unfortunate' and announced that a thorough site assessment was underway. The factory where the fire occurred contributes a little more than a fourth of the company's annual capacity. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
NBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
At least 36 killed in India after explosion at a pharmaceutical factory
The death toll from a massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India 's southern state of Telangana has risen to at least 36 while about three dozen were left injured, authorities said Tuesday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 31 miles from the state capital, Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals after Monday's blast, he said. 'The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,' Rao said. Sigachi Industries did not disclose what led to the explosion and fire, but said the plant's core manufacturing infrastructure was damaged and facility operations would be halted for 90 days. The plant produces microcrystalline cellulose, a chemical compound commonly used in making drugs, the company said. The explosion and subsequent fire was reported on Monday in the factory's spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs, Rao said. The state's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion. 'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Narasimha, adding the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident. Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates. Shares of Sigachi Industries tumbled 8% in intra-day trading Tuesday, extending the previous session's plunge of nearly 10%. In a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, the company called the incident 'unfortunate' and announced that a thorough site assessment was underway. The factory where the fire occurred contributes a little more than a fourth of the company's annual capacity.
2 days ago
- Health
Death toll rises to 36 following an explosion, fire at India pharmaceutical factory
HYDERABAD, India -- The death toll from Monday's massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India's southern state of Telangana has risen to at least 36 while about three dozen were left injured, authorities said Tuesday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals, he said. 'The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,' Rao said. The explosion and subsequent fire was reported on Monday in the factory's spray dryer unit, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs, Rao said. The state's Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said there were 108 workers inside the factory at the time of the explosion. 'As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests', said Narasimha, adding the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident. Witnesses said they heard the explosion from a couple of kilometers away from the site. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India and subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates.
3 days ago
- Health
At least 12 killed in an explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India
NEW DELHI -- An explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India's southern state of Telangana killed at least 12 people and injured several others, authorities said Monday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 10 workers in an industrial area about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad (31 miles), the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead at a hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals. he said. 'It was an explosion in a spray dryer unit of the factory, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs,' Rao said. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India, and also subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
At least 12 killed in an explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in southern India
NEW DELHI — An explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India's southern state of Telangana killed at least 12 people and injured several others, authorities said Monday. The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 10 workers in an industrial area about 31 miles from the state capital Hyderabad, the state's fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told the Associated Press. Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead at a hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped. Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals. he said. 'It was an explosion in a spray dryer unit of the factory, which is used to process raw material into fine powder for making drugs,' Rao said. India is home to some of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, playing a pivotal role in the global supply of generic medicines and vaccines. The country's robust manufacturing and cost-effective production have made it a hub for pharma giants. Industrial accidents, particularly involving chemical reactors, aren't uncommon in such factories, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight in a sector critical to public health. Sigachi Industries Limited is an Indian company dealing with active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates and vitamin-mineral blends, according to the company's website. It has five manufacturing facilities across India, and also subsidiaries in the U.S and the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post expressed his anguish over the loss of lives and announced financial support of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,333) each to the next of kin. Roy writes for the Associated Press.
